Biggest route downgrade

How about the wide boyz downgrading Kill Artist from 5.13 to 5.11? 8 grades...

Probably any route Seth Bleazard has onsighted...

Are any of the routes people have mentioned actually established? lol

As in the route was put up with a grade that stood for a while (years) and then was downgraded by MULTIPLE people. Someone literally mentioned a 2 star boulder that was originally graded V8/9 then "downgraded" by one user on MP called "boulder troll" to V5    this is getting bad even for MP.....I'd be way more interested in a most sandbagged forum

The blue 11+ set on the steep lead wall...maaaaybe 10+.

The pink one in the corner (V10) ((V2 in your gym))

Sam D wrote: The pink one in the corner (V10) ((V2 in your gym))

it'd be V0 at the gunks

Artem Vasilyev wrote:

I think that the R should still be mentioned - but that the difficuly of the R rated section be disclosed as well, to prevent scaring people off of the route needlessly. 

The way topos are written nowadays should make it pretty easy to figure out what sections of said route are to be wary of considering the r rating.  If people are that wary of climbing an r rated route, maybe they should be climbing more in their comfort zone.  If the topo is vague then they should climb knowing that anything can happen, isn’t that the beauty of climbing? 

The Power of Lard is a short steep crack climb in the Bugs that was put up by some Euros and rated .13c.

Subsequently climbed by many people who know how to crack climb, grade has settled around mid 5.12

Unlike, say, Moonlight Buttress, the crack geometry didn't change over time to make it easier.

Artem Vasilyev wrote: Speaking of downgrades - I seem to keep running into routes that are not R rated - but are listed as such. As in, the route will be 5.10 R in the guidebook, and then you arrive only to find out that the R section is either protectable with modern gear or is several grades below the route grade. Makes me feel like it's added just to serve the FA's ego, and ends up scaring people off of an otherwise mellow and aesthetic route.

I liked the way routes were graded at the Gunks in these scenarios (for example: listed as 5.10 G - R - then in description "Clip the pins in the corner, navigate the crux and climb the face (5.7R) to a good stance" ). When I would read something like that, I'd go huh - yeah thats fine, I can do that. Versus flipping past it and not even giving it a second thought.

Also, that way, when you would see a big fat R next to a grade in the Dick Williams guide you knew that it was no joke, and that you would be pulling the crux in the middle of the runout itself.

The guidebook for most of my "local" climbing has it shown along the lines of 5.10b (5.8R) to show what the dangerous parts are. It is definitely good info to have

Euros just call it 8a and move on. Maybe that’s why they climb so much better than we do—they don’t waste time on pointless shit. While they’re up at the cliffs ticking 8a after 8a from sunup till sundown, we’re on online forums arguing about whether some three-bolt local pile is 5.12d or 5.13a

And so the author pens an article for the online rag edition bitching about the asshole's arguing on online forums.

I personally stand by my downgrade of the route “Cream” in Yosemite valley. .10b at most. I climbed it in shorts without a scratch for crying out loud. 

Climberdude wrote: Pretty much every James Pearson route.  Some routes even downgraded from E10 to E7!  They actually made a documentary of his story.  Called Redemption 

Redemption is included in Amazon Prime if you to stream for free. It’s a good show.  

Adam Reinhardt wrote:

Redemption is included in Amazon Prime if you to stream for free. It’s a good show.  

Agreed

Jeremy R wrote: Was it Galactic Hitchiker that was originally rated in the 5.14s, but downgraded to 12c on the first repeat?

Something on the Apron...

Hall of Mirrors went from 5.13 (maybe 13+ not sure) to 12c.

Jeremy R wrote: Yes, Hall of Mirrors, thank you! Couldn't shake the feeling that wasn't right, but couldn't come up with the right route.

Unless it was originally 13+ doesn't seem that big of a downgrade to 12c ....I may just be completely lost here lol

As I recall it went up at a time when there were barely any 13’s in the valley, much less on long multipitches (I think it may have been before the Salathe), so a claimed 5.13 was a huge deal and the downgrade meant more than the numbers suggest. Don’t think you’re lost   

Richard R wrote:

As I recall it went up at a time when there were barely any 13’s in the valley, much less on long multipitches (I think it may have been before the Salathe)

Hall of mirrors 1980

Edge wrote:

I believe it went up pre-sticky rubber; I seem to recall an article (Mountain magazine?) that detailed the shenanigans on the FA. This included pouring lighter fluid on their soles, lighting them briefly, then taking off. 

I could only manage the first four pitches in ‘83 with first generation Fires before hucking spectacularly off P5, all pinwheel like.  I think I lit the wrong type of fire at the belay. 

Love this!